(Phys.org) —Deep in water-filled underground caves beneath Australia's Nullarbor Plain, cave divers have discovered unusual 'curtains' of biological material – known as Nullarbor cave slimes.

Biology - Ecology

Mar 06, 2013 4.6 / 5 (35) 24 |

(PhysOrg.com) -- When light passes through materials that we consider opaque, such as paint, biological tissue, fabric and paper, it is scattered in such a complex way that an image does not come through. ...

Physics - General Physics

Mar 18, 2010 4.7 / 5 (24) 7 |

Genes make up about 2 percent of the human genome. The rest consists of a genetic material known as noncoding DNA, and scientists have spent years puzzling over why this material exists in such voluminous ...

Biology - Biotechnology

May 12, 2013 4.7 / 5 (14) 8 |

(Phys.org)—Beyond serving as the backbone of modern biology, DNA has come to be a molecule of great interest to engineers. That a DNA sequence will naturally bind only with a complementary sequence could make it part of ...

Physics - Condensed Matter

Feb 04, 2013 4.2 / 5 (5) 0 |

Vaccines usually consist of inactivated viruses that prompt the immune system to remember the invader and launch a strong defense if it later encounters the real thing. However, this approach can be too risky ...

Chemistry - Polymers

Jan 28, 2013 4.8 / 5 (5) 0 |

(Phys.org)—British researchers at King's College in London have succeeded in creating quantum dots by feeding earthworms soil laced with certain metals and then collecting the material excreted. They describe ...

Nanotechnology - Nanophysics

Dec 28, 2012 4.9 / 5 (12) 4 |

(Phys.org)—Researchers at Penn State University have developed a chemical model that mimics a possible step in the formation of cellular life on Earth four-billion years ago. Using large "macromolecules" ...

Biology - Cell & Microbiology

Oct 14, 2012 5 / 5 (12) 1 |

In their quest for a cancer cure, researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute made a serendipitous discovery—a molecule necessary for cheaper and greener ways to produce nylon.

Chemistry - Biochemistry

Sep 23, 2012 4.9 / 5 (15) 3 |

(Phys.org)—Integrated circuits, which are in everything from coffeemakers to computers and are patterned from perfectly crystalline silicon, are quite thin—but Cornell researchers think they can push ...

Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials

Aug 29, 2012 4.6 / 5 (11) 3 |

Using piezoelectric materials, researchers have replicated the muscle motion of the human eye to control camera systems in a way designed to improve the operation of robots. This new muscle-like action could ...

Technology - Engineering

Jul 05, 2012 4 / 5 (2) 0 |

(Phys.org) -- Scientists do not fully understand how nature uses proteins to develop new materials and minerals, but learning more about the natural processes could lead to bioengineering methods such as the ...

Chemistry - Biochemistry

Jun 08, 2012 5 / 5 (7) 0 |

Imagine charging your phone as you walk, thanks to a paper-thin generator embedded in the sole of your shoe. This futuristic scenario is now a little closer to reality. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence ...

Nanotechnology - Bio & Medicine

May 13, 2012 5 / 5 (11) 1 |

Imagine a cellphone battery that stayed charged for more than a week and recharged in just 15 minutes. That dream battery could be closer to reality thanks to Northwestern University research.

Chemistry - Materials Science

Nov 14, 2011 4.8 / 5 (18) 17 |

(PhysOrg.com) -- Porous crystals called metal-organic frameworks, with their nanoscopic pores and incredibly high surface areas, are excellent materials for natural gas storage. But with millions of different ...

Chemistry - Materials Science

Nov 06, 2011 5 / 5 (5) 0 |

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new nanomaterial that can "steer" electrical currents. The development could lead to a computer that can simply reconfigure its internal wiring and become an entirely ...

Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials

Oct 16, 2011 5 / 5 (16) 17 |